Max Mok has one huge pair of eyes. He sort of reminds me of this
Korean actor named Jang Dong Gun, supposedly pretty hot in Vietnam.
Click
here for his picture.
I had no idea Max used to star in TVB series. I have actually
seen him in one ATV series called "The Warrior Period II,"
but I thought he was primarily a movie star. Then I found out
that he started acting in the late 70's. I was quite surprised!
This 1988 production of another typical Shanghai triad series,
"Yi Pok Wan Tin," stars relatively young Max with plenty
of explosion scenes, gun shootings, more explosions, more shootings,
and finally where everyone but Max (and a couple others) dies.
If you are interested in opera, this is also how George Frederic
Handel's operas work - everyone but one dies in the end. Not the
happiest ending there is.
As for Sheren Tang, I wish the script gave more weight on her
character. I think "girls" weren't so necessary in this
series from the start, but having casted someone like Sheren (a
lead role material), I wonder why the plot didn't utilize her
that much. Eddie Kwan had a fairly small screen exposure in the
beginning and started poking his face everywhere towards the end,
which was nice to see. He was an average character, not a villain
for once. I was quite surprised about that too.
For the most part, this series is about the power struggle between
Lee Kwok Lun and Max Mok... eh, I should really say that it's
about Lee trying to shoot the crap out of Max and Max running
for his life.
And the story in a nutshell:
Pao Fung is the leader of a powerful clan. He has two adopted
sons, Max and Lee Kwok Lun. Max is smart and honest so Pao Fung
favors him and considers him the successor of the clan. So Lee
is jealous and he plots to get rid of Max, while keeping his "good
face" around everyone.
Max is engaged to Pao Fung's one and only daughter. Her friend
happens to be Sheren, who has a little crush on Max. On the day
Max is supposed to marry his fiancee, Lee uses his enemy clan
to attack Max. His fiancee dies instead, so he vows revenge, not
knowing that Lee was behind this.
At this time, Japanese invades northeast provinces, so Pao Fung
goes up to close his business there. Lee hires gangsters to kill
Pao Fung using this opportunity, but Pao Fung escapes and hides.
Lee then persuades Max to go up north to look for Pao Fung, thinking
he can get rid of Max the same way. Sheren also follows Max because
she has some issues with Lee as well. Slowly, Max and Sheren fall
in love with each other.
Max and Sheren get acquainted with some "assets," which
include Kwok Fung (an expert in explosives) and his friend, Eddie
(who is not much of a help in the beginning). Eddie is the son
of a brothel owner and he starts to like Sheren a bit. He always
causes ruckus in Max's group because he is hot-tempered for no
good. Max also travels with Gu Hung who has a lot of strength.
With a few other people, the group travels and gets attacked many
times by Lee's assassins, the Japanese. During each attack, at
least one person dies. It's really disheartening to watch.
At one point, Eddie, Gu Hung, and some other guy get captured
so Max has to use some modern technology (such as a flying kite!)
to rescue them, in which he does with success. In the end, everyone
dies and only Max, Sheren, and Eddie are left. After rescuing
Pao Fung from his hiding place and learning that Lee is the culprit
behind all his troubles, he attempts to get rid of Lee. But he
cannot bring himself to kill Lee, who was once his good brother.
Eddie steps in and shoots Lee, much to Max's anguish. Lee dies
in Max's arms, murmuring some words of regret (too late, mate!).
And yes, Sheren and Max do sort of get together in the end...
which leaves Eddie where?
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